I'll Watch Over You
by greatgooglymoogly88
Summary: Jack has watched over Lucy ever since she was a child. He's seen her when she's happy, sad, and everything in between. He was even there for her when her mother died. But, the thing is, Lucy can't see him. Because Jack Frost is a Guardian and can only be seen by those who believe. Can he get the girl he loves to believe in him before it's too late? Rated M for cursing and violence.


Lucy used to be such a happy kid. She loved horses, cats, and dragons and would play outside all day. She would run around her house, pretending to be a superhero or a teacher or a doctor, whatever she had wanted to be on that particular day. She would dress the way she wanted, imagine her toys were the nobles of her court or space aliens or her students, and no matter what happened to her, whether another little girl had said something rude to her or she had gotten a booboo, she always had a smile of her face.

That kid had such a beautiful smile. The kind that could instantly make someone feel better just by looking at it. I really miss seeing that.

Now, when I see Lucy, she never has that smile. Ever since her mother died, the girl had changed dramatically from the carefree child she once was. I can see the hurt in her eyes and I wish so desperately that I could help her but I can't. She can't even see me. So, all I can do is sit back and watch over her, doing little things now and again to try and cheer her up.

Lucy loves snow. She loves it so much that in the winter I can just feel how much her spirit is lifted, as if a huge weight has been taken off her thin shoulders. So, I try to leave her little gifts of snow. Whether its a patch on her window sill or an icy frost through the air, I try to let her know that I'm there and that I care for her.

She used to be able to see me, but that was a long time ago. Back when she was young enough to still believe that the world was her and her back yard, the games she played and the friends she's had. It hurts me so much to see that brilliance leave her once-bright blue eyes. If only I could find away to make her believe again, I could finally get her to see me again and maybe she would be happy.

* * *

_Lucy paused, halting her walk home from school on this chilly autumn afternoon. She felt it again. That cool breath on her shoulder, the faintest hint of a whisper coming from someone just out of her line of vision. And this wasn't the first time this had happened. All her life, since she could remember, she always felt like she was being watched._

_It wasn't the feeling you got when you were stalked, though. It was more of a...protective feeling. Like a guardian angel. However, Lucy had long ago banished the idea of guardian angels, or anything magical, for that matter. She was a practical, down-to-earth girl who knew fairy tales were nothing but fantasies._

_She brushed off the feeling as she always did, continuing her trek home. She looked up to the October sky, noticing the formation of clouds above thickening. It looked like it would rain soon, or, if she was lucky, possibly even snow. Snow was the one thing that could brighten her mood, especially after a day like today._

_Ever since she had moved a few years ago, school life had been hard for Lucy. She had always thought of herself as an outgoing and charismatic girl, but changing schools in the peak of middle school had proved to her just how shy she could be. When she first came to Fairview as a seventh grader, her mother had recently died the local girls were quick to exclude her from their close-knit groups. Even now, years later as a high school Junior, she was still an outcast to the locals, who would snicker behind her back or call her names. The few friends she did have were sparse, just a small group consisting her her, Zack and Harry._

_Zack and Harry were lifers to Fairview, but took Lucy in with open arms due to their collective love of drawing. The three would write stories together, turning them into elaborate comics shared only within their group. They would spend weekends together going around town, sketching various landscapes, animals, and people, often each other. Though Lucy had these two people in her life, she still continued to feel lonely._

_So, on that day Lucy was feeling particularly lonely, an emotion she was quite familiar with. She reached her house, opening the front door and calling to her father, "I'm home!" which was followed by no reply. Lucy shrugged her thin shoulders, pulling off her worn brown leathers boots, a personal favorite, and walking up the stairs to her bedroom._

* * *

I jolted awake, floating up from my spot curled up on a low-hanging tree branch. The sun was low on the western horizon, signifying late afternoon. It seemed that Lucy had come home from school. As usual, she looked lonesome and I wished so desperately to reach out to her, to tell her I was there. I almost did, but stopped, laughing at myself. Of course she can't see me. How freaked out would she be if a random invisible hand touched her arm?

I floated under Lucy's open window, settling down on top of her desk as I watched her pull out her sketch pad. This was always fun, watching her sketch. I've seen her drawing skills improve greatly over the years, and now at 16 years of age she could draw more realistically than any other kid I have watched over.

She stared down the page in concentration, feathering light strokes with her graphite pencil. I watched as those simple strokes became a shape, transforming into a perfectly life-like peacock feather. As she became satisfied with the product, Lucy tore out the page and stuck it to her wall along with the countless other drawings she had created over the years.

As she settled back down on her bed to begin another picture, a gruff shout was heard from downstairs. "Who the hell left their damn shoes by the door?" a grizzly male voice called. _Crap. _

Lucy paused, looking at her door nervously. I heard rough footsteps echo through the house as the figure walked up the stairs. Lucy stood up, looking panicked. "Uh...they're mine, dad!" She called out weakly. "I'll go pick them up right now!" Before she could scurry out her door, a huge balding man stormed into her bedroom, an angry expression on his red face.

"Like hell you will!" he called. "I'm tired of you leaving your shit around the house."

Lucy took a step back, her thin frame dwarfed by her father's broad girth. "I'm sorry!" she said, trying to squeeze past the man to her door. "I'll take care of it right now."

He blocked her way with his arm, sneering down at the frail girl. "Maybe I should teach you another lesson." As she tried to brush past, he grabbed hold of her arm tightly, making her cry out.

"No!" I screamed, but of course, neither could hear me. This was the worst part of being a guardian, I could do nothing in these situations if they did not believe in me. I stood up anyway, rushing to the pair. I tried to rip the man's arm away from Lucy, but could not. Lucy's father laughed at the girl's distress, pushing her back.

"Please, daddy," she whimpered, trying to fold in on herself. "I'll put my shoes away right now." The man scoffed, tightening his grip on her arm. I could see the red marks already forming on Lucy's thin arm.

"You never learn!" The man shouted. "I provide for your sorry ass, and this is the thanks I get? Well, I'm tired of it!" He slapped the girl across the face, causing her to fall back on her carpet. Spitting in her direction, he walked back out of the young girl's bedroom. "If I ever see your fucking shoes in the doorway again, you'll have hell to pay. You hear me?" Lucy nodded, fighting back tears. "Now go put them away!"

The girl complied, rushing down the stairs to gather up her boots. When she came back upstairs, I could see the tear streaks lining her pink cheeks. I wanted to cry myself, seeing the girl like this. Ever since her mother died, Lucy's father began drinking. A lot. And he became an abusive drunk, always pushing around his only daughter as if she were a rag doll. I hated that guy with every fiber in my being, and God, it was frustrating that I couldn't give the bastard a taste of his own medicine.

Instead, I watched as Lucy curled up on her bed, letting the tears flow. On her arm and face, I could see two light purple bruises beginning to form on her porcelain skin. I floated over to the girl, sitting next to her, bringing comfort the only way that was possible for me. I blew air onto her window, forming a delicate crystal pattern on the glass. Lucy looked up, mystified by the sudden occurrence.

"Huh..." she grunted, curious. "It's not even that cold." She stood up, walking slowly to the window to inspect the icy pattern. "I've seen these before..."

I expanded the shape before her eyes, causing her to step back in shock. "Oh!" she started. She looked around the room, appearing very confused. "What...?" For a second I felt as though she could finally see me again. I smiled, reaching out a hand to her.

But she laughed, shaking her head of short brown hair. "I must be going crazy," she said to herself, sitting back down on her bed. My shoulders sank as I realized that I was still as invisible to her as ever. Kids her age didn't believe in magical things, much less Jack Frost.

I floated back out the window, to my spot on the low hanging tree branch.

Lucy will never be able to see me, I thought to myself.

* * *

_Lucy smiled to herself as she laid in the grass next to_ _Zack and Harry one Saturday afternoon. "It's almost winter," she told her two best friends, looking up at the gorgeously gray sky above. _

_The two boys laughed, exchanging a look. "That our Lucy," said Zack, rolling his dark grey eyes at the other boy._

_"Always dreaming about snow..." finished Harry. Lucy reached over and playfully smacked the two, pulling a face. _

_"There's nothing wrong with being a winter person," Lucy defended stiffly. _

_Zack smiled at her. "True. Winter does seem to really like you."_

_"Totally," Lucy laughed, but recalled all those strange things that happened to her, from the light crystal designs that showed up on her window to the feeling of cold air always brushing against her. "I feel like it's following me sometimes..." _

_Harry noticed the spacey look on his friend's pale-cheeked face. He knew some underlying meaning held in her words. "What do you mean?" he inquired, raising a blonde eyebrow questioningly. _

_Lucy shrugged, looking off into the orange and yellow forest just ahead of them. Most of the leaves lay rustling upon the ground, the exposed trees nearly black from the late November wind. "Well," Lucy started, hesitating. "I...I've been having strange feelings. For a while now, really. As if someone is always keeping watch over me."_

_Zack laughed, patting the girl's shoulder. "Now this is new," he joked. "You don't believe in ghosts." _

_"I guess not," Lucy agreed, though not as sure of herself as she always seemed to be in these supernatural matters. "But I still get this feeling. Especially if I'm sad or something. And it's always followed by snow or ice or a cold wind. God," she laughed, shaking her head. "I sound so stupid. But...I don't know. It's there."_

_Harry knew how she felt. Unlike his two friends, the tall blonde believed very much in ghosts and magic. Now, he wasn't stupid; he didn't think Santa was going to come down his chimney on Christmas Eve or that the Easter Bunny left out eggs on Easter. But, he knew that the world was larger than just the humans on it. There was definitely something else out there, something humans just couldn't see. "It might be a winter spirit," he added offhandedly, not wanting to appear foolish in front of his friends._

_Zack looked at him curiously. "Like Jack Frost?" he asked sarcastically, pushing the blonde boy jokingly. Harry stuck his tongue out at the redheaded boy._

_"I don't know," he defended, blushing a little. "It could be anything, right Lucy?"_

_Lucy snapped back from her daze, looking at her two bickering friends. Though Zack was joking, the name 'Jack Frost' rung in Lucy's ears. Suddenly, a memory from her childhood flashed through her mind._

_It was a cool January morning. Lucy, five years old at the time, ran joyfully through the backyard of her previous home in Washington, her mother looking on affectionately. Lucy was playing Cowboy at the moment, riding her invisible horse through the Old West. Though she was alone, Lucy had a white-haired playmate. A boy, actually, who appeared to be 17 years of age. Perhaps he was imaginary, but she suddenly remembered this playmate showing up in a number of her earliest memories, fading away gradually as her age progressed._

_She remembered how kind the white-haired boy was, playing Cowboy with her. He was a Bad Guy, being chased down by renowned Sheriff Lucy who would soon catch him and throw him in the pokey. She remembered laughing, calling out, "I'll get you, bad guy!" Her mothered laughed along with the girl, thinking it was an imaginary friend. But...Lucy felt as though he was really there, laughing and running along with her across the backyard. _

_Snapping back to reality, Lucy smiled at her two friends. "Right," she agreed, nodding to Harry. "It could be anything."_

_Or anyone._

* * *

As November came to a close, I became pretty busy with my work. I had to spread the frost all over, you know? I barely had any time to myself, so I wasn't able to look on at Lucy as much as I could during the warmer months. I wondered how things were with her father as I laid snow over a small town outside of Virginia. I hoped that he was leaving her alone.

I decided that that night, I would check up on the girl, just to make sure she was doing okay. I finished my rounds, putting ice over the windows of the last houses, and made my way to Lucy's large brick house in Fairview. Looking through the window, I could see that all the lights were already out despite it being only nine. This struck me as odd. Didn't teenagers like to stay up nowadays? I noticed, also, that Lucy's dad was not at home.

Good, I thought. That means he won't be around to bother her. I found Lucy sleeping peacefully in her bed, the covers pulled up to her chin. Like this, she looked a lot like she did when she was younger. She looked happy and tranquil. I remembered when I was a human, before I had become a guardian. My memory was fuzzy, of course, but I recalled having a sister. In a way, Lucy reminded me of her. They both shared brown hair and, at least when she was little, Lucy was just as playful.

But Lucy had those big blue eyes. They were so pretty, like ice crystals. I pulled on the loose strands of my blue hoodie, trying to recall the color of my sister's eyes. I just couldn't remember, though. God, this is frustrating. I suddenly felt very lonely, not being able to communicate with humans. I was alone here, looking on, able to observe but not participate. No matter what I did to get her attention, Lucy would never see me.

Unless I got her to believe. But, that could not happen. She was practically an adult now. She was growing up before my eyes, while I stayed trapped in my eternally seventeen year old body. I floated in through Lucy's open window, sitting cross legged on the foot of her bed. I recalled the day I died, one of the few human memories that still lingered within me. I remember my little sister and I, ice skating on that lake. God, I remember how stupid I was to think it was safe. The ice was so thin, and I let her go out on it. I remember her falling through the ice, calling out for me to save her. I could still see the pleading in her eyes, the look of absolute terror. I regret leaving the world like that, leaving my sister behind.

I thought of Lucy, how she could have been in my sister's place. The thought made me sick to my immortal stomach. I decided right then that I would protect Lucy, no matter what. Somehow I would find a way to break the barrier between us and never let anything harm her, especially her father.

* * *

_Lucy slept at ease until she was awakened by the sound of the front door opening. She sat up quickly, afraid of what might be downstairs. What if it was a burglar? She dared not move, bunching up her covers nervously in her fists. _

_The familiar sound of heavy feet marching upstairs made Lucy realize it was her father, probably home from a night at the bar. Looking at her alarm clock, she saw that it was well past two in the morning. This could only mean one thing; her father was drunk. She prayed that he would head straight to bed, but no such luck was with her that night. _

_Her father fumbled with her doorknob, shouting curses as he did so. Once the door was open, Lucy's nostrils were filled with the stench of booze. Clearly the man was horribly drunk, and judging from the look on his face, was raging with drunken anger. _

_"You!" he shouted, wobbling closer to Lucy, who remained huddled under her covers. "Get up right now!" She quickly obliged, not wanting to fuel her father's temper further. He looked her up and down, a nasty sneer on his bright red face. "What do you think you're looking at, bitch?"_

_Lucy started, looking down immediately at the floor. She shivered, wearing only an oversized t-shirt. "Nothing, sir," she muttered weakly, sleep still lining her big blue eyes. Her father spat on the carpet, moving closer to the shaking girl._

_"Who the fuck do you think you are?" he growled, pushing her roughly to the floor. "I'm tired of your shit. You're the reason my wife is gone!" He slapped the girl, hard. Harder than he ever had before. She cried out in pain. "Fuck you!" He lifted her up by the arm, causing something in there to pop. _

_"Augh!" Lucy screamed, biting back tears. "Stop!"_

_"Quit yelling!" the man slurred, straightening her up. "It's because of you I'm fucking alone. If Angela hadn't given birth to your sorry ass, she'd never have been sick!" He slapped Lucy again, this time leaving a cut on her cheek. _

_"I'm so sorry," Lucy sobbed, nearly believing her father's words. "I'm s-s-so sorry...Please don't hurt me."_

* * *

No matter how many times I cried out, tried to pull the drunk off Lucy, he kept going. He kept hitting her as she cried and cried. I wanted to scream or hide or do _something, _but I couldn't. That fucking bastard! I wanted to kill him with my bare hands.

"Please, Lucy," I sobbed, trying to hold onto the small girl. "Believe." But she kept crying, and the man kept hitting her. Already, I could see a cut on her cheek and her arm had made a gruesome pop as if something in there had broken. Tears streamed down my face as I pleaded with her over and over again.

"Believe, believe, believe, _believe!" _I shouted my frustration. An image of my sister flashed before my eyes, of her in the hole in the lake, pleading with me to save her.

I had to save Lucy now. I had to find a way.

Suddenly, a thought occurred to me. I raced to her window, blowing frost on it. Carefully, I spelled out a single word in the ice.

_Believe_.

* * *

_"Please!" Lucy screamed through her tears as her father took out his drunken anger on her. This was so much worse than all the other times. Never before had she been in so much pain. She was truly afraid. _

_In the corner of her vision, she saw something strange. Writing on the window, it seemed. She squinted through her tears, trying to make out the strange letters that seemed to come out of nowhere. "What the hell are you looking at?" bellowed her father, grabbing her cheek to force Lucy to look at him. "Look at me, bitch!"_

_Lucy gulped, looking into her father's foggy blue eyes. He used to be so kind to her, back when her mother was still alive. They had been a happy family, the three of them. But, after her mother left, he became a drinker, acting violently, especially towards Lucy. Over the years, the anger became worse and worse. And soon Lucy felt that she was to blame, even believing that somehow she was the cause to her mother's illness. "I'm sorry," she whispered once again in a quiet voice, broken from her sobbing. _

_She risked another glance to the window, desperate to read what it said. This time, she could make it out. _

_'Believe.'_

_Lucy gasped, her eyes reopened._

* * *

Something changed. I could feel it.

Lucy gasped, looking wildly around the room. Her father stepped back, surprised. "Augh!" she screamed, falling back. "Who are you?!"

Was she looking at me? No, it had to be my imagination.

But, her piercing blue eyes seemed to look at me with an expression of utter surprise. "Who are you?!" she repeated. Her father looked around the room, confused.

"Are you fucking crazy?" he bellowed. Lucy paid no attention to him, her eyes seemingly transfixed on me.

Hesitantly, I pointed to myself. "M-me? I'm...I'm-"

"Jack Frost." Lucy finished, with a dazzlingly hopeful smile. I stood in shock, unable to comprehend what was going on. Could she see me? Could Lucy really,_ finally_ see me? This was too good to be true.

"Jack Frost?" shouted her father, looking bewildered. "I should put you in a mad house!" He put up a hand, ready to attack Lucy again.

"No!" I bellowed automatically, grabbing his fist.

Actually grabbing his fist.

For the first time ever. I was scared, I couldn't understand, neither could Lucy or her father. But I pulled back the man's beefy fist with a surprising amount of strength, making the grown man cry out. "Don't you ever touch her again!" I screamed, causing him to flinch.

"Who the fuck are you?!" he cried.

"He's...Jack Frost," Lucy breathed, looking at me with practically glowing eyes. I smiled back at her, nearly crying. I was so, so happy. I had no idea how this was possible, but here I was. Actually talking to Lucy, just like when she was little.

"Lucy," I gasped, my voice cracking. "I-"

"Get the fuck out of my house!" I suddenly felt an elbow connect with my jaw, sending me flying back onto Lucy's bed. Her father stood above me, breathing heavily and looking both terrified and angry. "Stay away from me and my family!"

I flew back up, causing both humans to gasp. "No, you bastard! I've seen what you do to Lucy and I will never let you touch her again!" I flew up close to his big red face, grabbing him roughly by the collar. "Do you hear me?"

"Y-yes.." he whispered before passing out onto the floor. I paused for a moment, staring at the huge man. I was still in shock. Lucy stood still as a statue, looking right at me.

"You're here," she whispered, take a small step towards me but still keeping a distance.

"You...you can see me?" I started, looking deep into her eyes.

"Yes."

"Yes? Yes!" I shouted with joy, floating up to the ceiling. I grabbed Lucy by the waist, wrapping her into my arms as we floated through the air. "Woo! You don't know how long I've waited for this!"

Lucy laughed, tears dripping down her chin. I wiped them away with the sleeve of my frosty hoodie. "It's been you, hasn't it? The one who leaves me the ice crystals?"

I nodded, floating us back to the ground. I could finally touch Lucy! She was here and she could see me and hear me! I kept her tight in my embrace, afraid to let her go.

As I looked into her beautiful blue eyes, I pressed my lips to hers. She gladly obliged, our tears mixing into the kiss. We stood just like that for a moment, her pretty pink lips tasting like honey and the salt of our combined tears. I held on to her, and she clutched tightly to me. After a moment, our lips parted.

Lucy buried her faced into my shoulder, her whole body shaking with her sobs. "What's wrong?" I asked frantically. "Are you hurt?" I recalled the injury to he arm, stepping back so as not to harm her further.

"No!" Lucy said between her tears. "I'm j-just so happy. God, you're real!" She laughed, holding me close.

"Yeah," I laughed, grabbing her hand. "I'm real." I wiped away her tears once again with my thumb, looking at her delicate face. "I will never let you get hurt again. I promise."

I kissed her softly once again, so shocked and happy and confused all at once.

"I'll watch over you."

* * *

**Oh my god, guys. This thing got deleted fucking _twice. _I had to rewrite it two times and now I think I'm going to cry. Please, for my sake, review and favorite. I want to die now. Ugh.**

**~Ari**


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